Shewa

The Kingdom of Shewa (1084-), also known as Shoa, was a kingdom located in present-day central Ethiopia. Shewa gained independence from the Zagwe dynasty in 1084 after an invasion by Axum, and its first ruling dynasty was the House of Makhzumi, which adhered to Sunni Islam.

History
Shewa (also Shoa) was founded in 1084 when King Dawit II of Axum declared war on the Zagwe dynasty to press his courtier Maya'ir Makhzumi's claims on the kingdom. Maya'ir was installed as the king of Shewa, which was effectively a puppet state of Axum and also a buffer state between Axum and Abyssinia. Shewa's first ruling dynasty was the House of Makhzumi, a dynasty of Sunni Muslim Ethiopians, although most of its 12,600 people adhered to Miaphysite Christianity.

Shewa's first ruler Maya'ir had a short reign of two years, and his son Harba'ir succeeded him on his death. Both had excellent relations with the powerful kingdom of Axum to the north, and Shewa was a peaceful nation, not getting involved in any wars. It was sandwiched between two swathes of Abyssinian territory, making it irrational for Shewa to fight against Abyssinia. Harba'ir's brother Mayor Teruworq of Gondar, a courtier of Axum, married King Dawit's daughter Falashina Gideon, cementing the alliance between the two countries.